One of the most enduring of Halloween icons, candy corn is now over 130 years old.

Back in the early 1900s, when the little striped treat was one of a variety of fondant novelties crafted into shapes like turnips, chestnuts and leaves, workmen had to run buckets of hot, sugary slurry back and forth across molds to make it. Today, companies like Jelly Belly and Brach's produce over 35 million pounds of candy corn — most of it around Halloween.

"One of the reasons candy corn has remained so popular is that it's a 'limited edition.' This is really the only time of year you can easily get it, and that limited availability makes it attractive," says Susan Whiteside, spokeswoman for the National Confectioner's Association.

Candy corn has become not only a staple of the trick-or-treat bowl, but an inspiration for seasonal decor.

Whether you're setting a festive scene or just indulging a nostalgic affection, there are lots of ways to use candy corn. You can even make some yourself — both edible and non-edible versions.

Candy corn kernels have more visual impact en masse than individually. An array of clear lidded jars filled to the brim looks wonderful. Dump a bag or two in the bottom of a hurricane or large vase; add a pillar candle, Halloween ornament, or twisty branches painted black or gold and you've got a great centerpiece.

Get out the paint pots and paint the top and base of orange traffic cones for clever Halloween-night driveway markers. Better Homes & Gardens' website offers instructions to make a door decoration by cutting a foam cone in half lengthwise, painting it and adding dried fall plant material. Spray paint gourds and pumpkins for more entryway decor. (www.bhg.com )

Finally, if you're up for making your own treats, Food Network star Alton Brown has a recipe online. (www.foodnetwork.com) Evoke the idea of candy corn by creating tricolor gelatin or sherbet parfaits, and topping pretzels or cupcakes with tinted icing.

This undated publicity image provided by Women's Day shows a candy corn centerpiece that you can create using a hot glue gun and a bag of candy corn along with a Styrofoam ball or cone shape. Instructions are available at www.womansday.com. (Women's Day, Antonis Achilleos, Associated Press)

Nabisco is selling a limited run of Oreos with candy-corn-colored filling. (www.target.com)

Jamie Lothridge, a middle-school teacher and avid baker in Toledo, Ohio, who blogs about her passion at www.mybakingaddiction.com, has already repurposed the Oreos by turning them into truffles.

"As a recipe developer, new ingredients get my creativity flowing. I've long been a candy corn fanatic, and autumn is my favorite season, so making a recipe with all my favorite things is kind of a dream come true," she says.